1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally concerns car seats for children and particularly relates to car seats of the type that can be installed in an automobile in order to secure a child who is too small to effectively utilize the seat belts and other safety mechanisms ordinarily provided in an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of different child car seats presently are in use. Typically, such conventional child car seats are installed in the back seat of an automobile which can make installation difficult, particularly if the automobile is a two-door, rather than a four-door car.
In addition, most conventional child carseats are installed so as to face rearward. That is, when a child is seated in the car seat, the child faces toward the back of the car. It is often the case that a parent or other care giver is alone with the child in the car. In this situation, monitoring the child's activities and comfort can often be very difficult when the child is facing toward the back of the car. In fact, when a child is facing rearward in the back seat of the automobile, often the back of the child car seat will completely obscure any view of the child at all.
Moreover, while the child is in this position, the child's only view typically is of the back seat of the car. This lack of visual stimulation, as well as accompanying feelings of isolation and abandonment, are further disadvantages of conventional car seats.